New Body, New Life
by Ren Seragaki
Summary: What could one expect to happen in Ren's new life? With a new body comes different experiences. Some good, some bad, some sad, some ridiculously retarded and some fluffy! RenAo time! Current chapter: What He Likes
1. Two Sides of the Coin

_Hey guys! I haven't been writing for awhile since I struggled with school. :/ BUT! I've recently gotten into DRAMAtical Murder! ^^ Looking at all the stories in the DMMD list, there is a surprisingly lack of RenAo stories. So, I decided to make a series of one-shots revolving around Ren and his new life. These will be updated at anytime I desire to write. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own DRAMAtical Murder or any of it's characters. Cover picture belongs to kaguya-lamperouge on deviantART._

_On with the drabble! ^^_

* * *

~NBNL~

Title: Two Sides of the Coin  
Summary: "Aoba, do you prefer my form in Rhyme?" "Eh? Why the sudden question?" "Was it the tattoos you liked? Or was it the hair?" "… Why are you so worried about your appearance anyway?" "I remember hearing you say that I looked sexy in my Rhyme form." "!... Y-You heard that?"

* * *

It worried him greatly.

Hardly anything could worry him this much, unless it concerned a _certain someone_. Of course, what bothered him had something to do with this _someone_, be it this person's safety or preference.

Ren was worried about Aoba's opinion on his appearance.

Ren knew that Aoba had no problem with his new body but he was still worried. What stirred up his worries was when the other had attempted to remember and sketch what his Rhyme form looked like. The raven head started to think in a rather negative way when he heard about 'how cool Ren was in his Rhyme form'. The blunette listed all the cool factors, including all the small detail, such as his fangs or his collar. Every time Aoba made a number of positive comments about Ren's Rhyme form, the air of depression that hung above Ren's head intensified with Aoba being terribly oblivious. What made matters worse was when he remembered what Aoba had said to himself when he was still an Allmate.

"_Hm… Ren's Rhyme form is kind of cool. If I were a woman, I might even call him sexy… and then wonder if he's more attractive than Koujaku."_

Ren's depression grew as he recalled the two events. Had he still been an Allmate, all the compliments would be a joy for him to hear but now, it seemed that they just added more weights onto his shoulders.

It seemed that today's theme is concern and depression. What a joy…

At least Aoba was working at the moment, so he did not have to see his partner sulk over such a petty matter. As adorable as Aoba's obliviousness was, Ren hoped that the blunette would soon realise the damage he was inflicting on his self-esteem.

This was how the day started for Ren; him mulling over trivial things as he laid down on the couch in the living room. Seem like a good way to start the day!

Due to his unawareness of his surroundings from thinking deeply, he failed to notice the pink-haired grandmother making her way over to him with a rolled up newspaper in hand.

Thus, as the newspaper landed a hit on Ren's head, he flinched from the pain and turned on his side. That did not end well for him as he turned to the wrong side and ended up making contact with the wooden floor, a 'thud' being heard as he fell. The raven head groaned from the pain in his head and side. He sat up, leaning his back against the couch and rubbed the back of his head in a futile attempt to numb the pain. It was then he realised a figure standing in front of him. Ren slowly tilted his head up and his eyes met with Tae's. She did not look angry but she sis appear to be quite annoyed since one hand was on her hip while the other was gripping the paper weapon tightly.

Ren raised an eyebrow. Did he do something wrong?

As if reading his mind, Tae shouted in a booming voice, "Stop making this house so depressing!"

The raven head flinched once again from the sound of the piercing voice entering his ears. Any other person would have been pissed at what the elderly lady did but Ren knew better. She was just trying to lighten the atmosphere in her own way just to distract him. Realising this, Ren's lips curled upwards into a smile and let out a small laugh. He was quite thankful for what she did actually.

"I'm sorry. I'll try not to," he responded, grinning at her.

After he said that, Tae's expression softened and became concerned. "Something has been bothering you Ren."

It was not a question; it was a statement.

Ren lowered his gaze, muttering a soft "yeah". He felt the couch sink behind him, so he assumed that Tae had sat down on the couch.

Judging by the silence, Ren guessed that the grandmother was waiting for him to say something.

"I'm worried about Aoba's preference on my appearance," the raven head admitted, albeit a bit reluctantly, with a bit of pink tinting his cheeks.

Tae made a small noise, indicating that she was all ears.

"I know Aoba doesn't mind the body I have now but I can't help but remember that way he kept on saying how cool my Rhyme form is!" Ren blurted out frantically, a bit of sweat dripping from his forehead as his gloom started to settle back in. He had not meant to raise his voice but he was already on the brink of treating the matter as a life-or-death situation. What if Aoba lost interest in him?! This already made Ren feel like his world was crashing down on him!

Tae seemed to ponder on the matter while Ren brought his knees closer to his chest and silently rocked himself back and forth. All this worrying may soon affect his health.

"I can't speak on Aoba's behalf but based off of observations, I can tell that the way you look would never affect his feeling for you," the grandmother stated, just before adding, "because he loves you."

Before Ren could say something in return, the door was heard being slid open, followed by someone saying, "I'm home!"

Ren flinched from hearing his beloved's voice. What should he do now? He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to meet Tae's encouraging gaze.

"The best way to end your worries to ask Aoba yourself, Ren," she stated, letting go of his shoulder.

Ren nodded and muttered his thanks, quickly heading out of the room and into the hallway.

It was now or never.

When Ren saw Aoba in the hallway, staring at him quizzically, he rushed to him and grabbed his arm.

"Ren?" the blunette questioned, finding his partner's actions to be odd.

Oh Aoba, your obliviousness will someday be the death of Ren.

The raven head reacted purely on impulse, hastily dragging the confused Aoba up the staircase and into their room.

"W-Wait a minute Ren!" Aoba stuttered, quite shocked by his lover's strange behavior.

Once they were in the room, Ren shut the door closed and pinned the shorter male to the wall, his face being so close to Aoba's that the other's cheeks started to turn a bit pink. What was wrong with Ren?

"Are you okay Ren?" the blunette asked, his eyebrows crossed in concern.

"… Definitely not…"

That was not a very Ren-like response. Since Aoba did not seem like he was going to say anything else, the taller male breathed out an agitated sigh.

"Aoba, do you prefer my form in Rhyme?" he questioned, his tone and stare so deadly serious that the blunette had to suppress a gulp and shiver.

Aoba was quite stunned though. _That_ was what made Ren behave oddly? Still, he decided not to voice out that thought even though he knew that looks could not kill.

"E-Eh? W-Why the sudden question?" Aoba cursed his stuttering.

It may be his imagination but Ren seemed to get more gloomy when he asked.

"Was it the tattoos you liked? Or was it the hair?" the raven head continued to ask frantically. He knew it was strange that he sounded like he was jealous of his Rhyme form. That could possibly be the case but it was still odd that he was jealous of himself.

Aoba was still confused and weirded out. If he wanted to know how to react, he needed to know the reason behind the questions.

"… Why are you so worried about your appearance?" he asked in return, an eyebrow raised.

Without thinking, Ren responded almost cheekily, "I remember hearing you say that I looked sexy in my Rhyme form."

At hearing that, the colour of Aoba's face contrasted with his hair so well that it could even compete with the colour of Koujaku's kimono.

"Y-You heard that?!" he asked, flustered. He wished he could just disappear into the wall at that moment because Ren was looking at him like he was his prey. Alas, Aoba's silent wish went unheard. Oh great.

"When?!" Aoba added clumsily, not realizing the hidden meaning behind that one word.

Ren raised an eyebrow, noticing that something could possibly be implied from that word. Does that mean…?

"Are you implying that you have made similar comments many other times?" he inquired, inching his face so much closer to Aoba's that their noses were touching.

Oh gosh… That was quite the slip up. Aoba made an audible gulp from looking into Ren's gloomy eyes.

"Aoba."

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you not like my appearance?" Ren asked solemnly, gazing towards their feet.

Aoba could tell that his partner was beyond depressed despite his fringe covering his expression.

Finally, it clicked.

Aoba felt like smacking himself. He had been too oblivious and selfish toward Ren's feelings. Thinking about it now, he finally realised all the reactions Ren made when he kept praising his Rhyme form. Of course, the blunette had always known that Ren was never one to be bothered by such small matters. However, when said matters had a relation to Aoba, it immediately became his top priority.

Aoba felt like a serious jerk towards Ren now.

"I'm pretty darn stupid, huh…" he muttered, just loud enough for the other to hear.

Despite the fact that Aoba knew he was at fault, the raven head was still not at ease since he did not get a proper answer from the shorter male yet. He had to be patient though.

What snapped him out of his depression was when he felt a comforting warmth on his cheek. Looking back up to face his lover, he saw that Aoba had a genuinely apologetic smile on his face. Ren could not help but be mesmerized by the blunette's almost angelic face.

"Aoba…" Ren breathed out, the name rolling off of his tongue naturally.

The shorter male chuckled and pulled the other closer to him. He brought Ren's head to his chest, tucking it below his chin. His arms were wrapped around the taller male's back in a tender embrace. Ren was momentarily surprised by the sudden action.

"Aoba?"

Ren could feel his beloved's chest vibrate as he chuckled.

"Hehe… Your brain is going to explode if you think about it anymore," Aoba muttered, burying his face in the raven head's hair. Ren did not have any sort of specific scent but it smelled refreshing nonetheless.

Ren found that statement quite ironic. It had always been him that warned the blunette about thinking too much, had it not? It was the other way around now.

"I guess you're right Aoba," he chuckled silently, returning Aoba's hug and burying his face deeper into the shorter male's chest.

"I'm sorry Ren… I should've realised how my opinions affected you," the blunette mumbled apologetically, proceeding to stroke the other male's short hair.

"About your first question… I don't really care about how you look like. To me, as long as I still have you, my trusted partner, with me, I couldn't ask for anything more. Besides, Ren is Ren, no matter what."

"!... Ao… ba…"

Small tears started to gather in the corner on Ren's eyes and Aoba started to feel his dark shirt getting damp. The blunette paid no heed to it though. He comforted his partner, rubbing his back soothingly in circular motions.

"No matter what Ren, you're my~ big puppy," Aoba told Ren, purposely dragging the word "my" in a teasing manner to prove a point. It made the taller male shiver with delight.

As time passed, Ren's tears stopped and his grip on Aoba started to loosen. The raven head slowly stood up straight to meet the blunette's gaze. As if on impulse, the shorter male leaned forward and started to lick away any tears remaining on Ren's face. The raven head was in a daze. His eyes were wide with amazement and surprise. Aoba then brushed back his fringe and kissed his forehead.

Finally, Ren's mind was put to ease. Aoba's words and actions always had a great impact on him. All these simple loving gestures were enough to show Ren that Aoba truly loves him just the way he is.

'I feel thankful for having you by my side,' they both thought simultaneously.

* * *

_Ah… so much fluff and moe-ness! ^^ I hope this is pleasing to read and makes up for the lack of RenAo fanfics. I came with this idea when I was doing my weekly brain-drying. Technically, I didn't think I could write much for this idea but in the end, it went well! ^^ I actually wrote majority of it all in one shot. Then when my exams came, this just sat in my bag, completely forgotten. I wrote the ending during school while checking our exam scripts._

_Like it? Love it? Hate it? Just review your opinions! However, it would be nice if you criticize my work without being to harsh. If you'd like, I could possibly take requests too! Just PM me! ^^_

_Thank you for reading!~_


	2. I'm Sorry

_This is gonna be shorter than the previous drabble but whatever. Remember, this series of one-shots is not just sunshine and rainbows. There will also be some depressing stuff. I think that this drabble is a bit similar to the previous one but it has a VERY different atmosphere.  
Don't worry, I've taken note of any requests. I just need time to think.  
Disclaimer before still applies.  
_

_Warning, if you're very sensitive, I suggest having a pack of tissue papers by your side. (I actually felt like crying while writing this... ;~;)_

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~NBNL~

Title: I'm Sorry  
Summary: He had a bad dream – no, it was a nightmare. What if Aoba failed in using Scrap on him? The thought scared him so much that it made him shed his first tears. "I-I assaulted Aoba…" "Shh… It's okay…"

* * *

_He wanted to stop but he could not. His body was moving on its own. He wanted to respond properly to all those cries and tears but the animal inside him was too furious to abide to anything else. Aoba had never regarded him as something like a beast, not even now. Aoba still clung on to the desperate thought that he could still reach out to Ren. Ren wanted to cry but he could not. He wanted to reach out to Aoba's voice but he could not. He wanted to stop hurting Aoba. He tried to call out for Aoba but the beast within him was louder. He kept on tearing Aoba apart. He kept on biting Aoba to the point where his bones were visible. He scratched Aoba everywhere. He pulled on Aoba's sensitive hair, making the pain even more unbearable. He constantly raped Aoba, not giving him the slightest break. _

_Ren was broken beyond repair and he wanted the same to happen to Aoba. _

_But he truly did not want to do that. In fact he could not. It made him cry out on the inside that Aoba refused to be broken in hopes that Ren would hear him call out his name._

_It was futile._

_They wanted it to all stop. He wanted it to all stop._

"_R-Ren! Please stop! I'm s-sorry…"_

* * *

"!..."

Ren shot out of bed, panting and covered in sweat. He held a hand over where his heart was in hopes to calm down its rapid beating. The dream felt so real to him. He could still hear Aoba's desperate pleas ring in his ears. He quickly took off his shirt and scanned his whole body, just to be sure that he really was having a nightmare. He breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing the absence of the tattoos and the fur on his hands.

Still, knowing that did little to calm him. He hesitated to even blink, afraid that what occurred in his nightmare might become a reality. How could that ever happen? They were in a black abyss, having absolutely nothing around them except the nonexistent floor. There were no lights or shadows. Everything was pitch black. It did not seem like the real world. A thought occurred to Ren; is that what would happen if Aoba failed to use Scrap on him? Would he become that animal – that beast in his nightmare and continue hurting Aoba without a second thought?

He did not want that. He would not dare hurt Aoba or make him uncomfortable in any way possible. He tried desperately not to think about it anymore but it was like a plague in his mind. He tried to get rid of it but it just kept spreading, making him have thoughts about what else could have possibly happened if Aoba failed to use Scrap on him.

He did not want to think about it anymore but he could not stop. These thoughts made him shiver in terror, causing his eyes to water uncontrollably. He hugged his knees close to his chest and buried his face in them, hoping that the deranged world in his nightmare would never exist.

"Ren? Are you awake? The bath is free so now you can-"

When Aoba entered the room, what he saw made him forget about everything else except his precious companion on their bed. The towel in his hand slipped out of his grip as he rushed to Ren's side, wanting to know what happened to him but stopped himself from asking.

Tears were spilling from Ren's eyes. Never in Aoba's life has he actually seen Ren cry. It felt contagious. The fact that his companion was crying made him want to shed tears too. In hopes to comfort Ren, Aoba wrapped his arms around him tightly.

Ren's shoulders jerked in surprise, having not realised another person's presence in the room. When he took in the familiar scent of his partner, it made him want to cry harder. The space seemed so suffocating that he just wanted to run away. He wanted to get away from Aoba because he thought he might hurt Aoba if he stayed with him any longer. Having this in mind, he started to push Aoba away from him.

Aoba was quite surprised to feel Ren attempting to push him away. A memory was then remembered - the time when Ren was still an Allmate. The first time Ren pushed him away when they bumped their foreheads together. He did not want that to happen. He would not let Ren push him away. Aoba was stubborn and he was going to prove that by sticking to Ren for as long as he could.

Aoba still kept his arms around Ren, trying not to get discouraged. This made Ren a bit angry, so he pushed with a bit more force. Aoba wanted to cry harder because of this but it only made him more determined to stay by Ren.

"Get away from me…" Ren muttered, barely audible enough to hear.

"I'm not letting you go Ren!" Aoba barely managed to shout out between his sobs.

Ren gritted his teeth in frustration and tried to push away Aoba with even more force.

"I said get away from me!" Ren cried out, his voice, laced with fear and anger, cracking.

"Never!" Aoba yelled, still determined despite his heart feeling like it was being broken.

Finally at his limit, Ren shoved away Aoba with enough force that sent his back crashing into the side of the table. Aoba winced from the pain, trying his best to get up and reach out to Ren despite how much his back protested. Still, the pain was too great for him to handle and all he could manage was to lie down on the ground, holding his back.

When Ren noticed the lack of arms around him and the sound of crashing, he stopped sobbing. His eyes were still full of tears and he took note that his arm was outstretched. He turned his head to where the crashing sound came from and his breath got caught in his throat.

Aoba was on the ground, groaning in pain. Did he do that? Did he actually hurt Aoba? The sight made him tremble, determined to get away. He crawled back but his back hit the wall behind him.

This was his fault, was it not? He hurt his Aoba even though he promised himself to never hurt Aoba ever again. This only proved how he did not deserve Aoba, right? These thoughts spread through Ren's mind to the point where he could not take it. He screamed out and started to wail all over again, holding his head down in utter terror.

Ren's cry made Aoba flinch but he did not let that stop him. With much more determination, Aoba did his very best and crawled to the bed, where Ren sat, utterly terrified. Aoba ignored the growing pain in his back, absolutely set on comforting Ren like his life really depended on it.

Ren did not react even though Aoba was right in front of him. Using Ren's unawareness to his advantage, Aoba took hold of Ren's face and made his partner face him straight in the eye. Aoba did his best to keep his face to look as serious as possible and not be fazed by Ren's tear-stained face. Before Ren had the chance to push Aoba away again, Aoba gently brought his lips to Ren's forehead, kissing it.

That one action immediately stopped the tremors in Ren's body and the tears stopped flowing, his eyes widened. The feel of Aoba's lips on his forehead was only for a short moment but it held so much meaning in it.

'I won't give up.'

'I'll never leave you Ren.'

'I trust you.'

'I'll always love you.'

Those were all the unspoken words that Ren felt when Aoba kissed him.

It made him want to cry all over again.

It made him happy.

Overcome with so many emotions, Ren pulled Aoba into a tight hug, wanting to never let him go. He buried his face into Aoba's shoulder determined to always remember his scent so that he would always know where he was.

Aoba returned the embrace, a small smile gracing his lips as he stroked Ren's back. Ren cried for awhile but Aoba did not mind. As long as Ren stayed with him, everything was alright.

A few minutes passed before Ren's sobs finally turned into hiccups. It was somewhat scary to know that Aoba would always stay with him, just like how it had been in his nightmare. However, knowing that also made Ren to be filled with joy.

"I- I'm sorry, Aoba…" Ren choked out, hiccupping between his words.

"Shh… It's okay… " Aoba comforted, stroking Ren's back again.

"W-Would Aoba stay with me n-no matter wh-what?"

"Heh… Ren, I truly, madly, deeply love you. I love you too much to even think about leaving your side."

* * *

_I hope that all of you have enjoyed reading that in some way! I thought of something along the lines of, "What if Ren knew what could possibly happen if Aoba failed to use Scrap?" So, there you have it!_

_P.S. I can never bring myself to keep on looking at the screen while I watch Ren's bad ending. It's just so terrifying for me. Oh, and virtual cookies for anyone who knows the reference from the last sentence.  
_

_Like it? Love it? Hate it? Just review your opinions! However, it would be nice if you criticize my work without being harsh. If you'd like, I could possibly take requests too! Just PM me! ^^_

_Thank you for reading!~_


	3. What He Likes

_Ah... I'm sorry you guys had to wait a while for the next one... Kinda had a writer's block... Plus, I WANTED TO POST THIS ON Kanami Yuuta's BIRTHDAY BUT ASDFGHJKL MY PARENT'S DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD GO FOR AN OUTING AND THEN MY COMPUTER DECIDED TO CRASH ARGHHHHHHH  
Ahem so... Happy Late Birthday Kanami Yuuta? *gats smacked*  
Alright, as for how I knew, I follow you on deviantART so it kinda told me when your birthday was._ _Kanami Yuuta's deviantART account is kaguya-lamperouge btw. _

_Alright, about things needed to be noted before reading this drabble; let's assume that the whole gang knows Aoba's past because he told them. Let's also assume that Koujaku and Ren can be more buddy-buddy than you think :3 And I think I kinda forced myself to write the second half so it may not be as good as usual. Let's assume one last thing, which is to think that Ren is a tad bit shorter than Koujaku.  
_

_Disclaimer: Do I still need to write this? Ah, whatever... I don't own DRAMAtical Murder. It's rightful owner is Nitro+CHiRAL. And the bookcover belongs to the person who I've mentioned serveral times in this author's note :/_

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~NBNL~

Title: What He Likes  
Summary: Despite Aoba saying that he likes Ren as he is, he is still going to change his appearance. He could at least style his hair. There was only one hair-stylist in the Old Resident District, and he also had questions for that man. "Why is it your life goal to cut Aoba's hair?"

* * *

"Aoba."

"Hm? What is it?"

Ren and Aoba were currently in Junk Shop Heibon, the blunette sitting behind the counter while the other sat on it, staring at nothing in particular. Aoba looked up from the magazine he was reading to look at his partner. As usual, Ren was thinking about Aoba again but it was not anything particularly negative. He was thinking if he should get his hair styled. While it was true that the blunette liked him just the way he was. He felt that making Aoba happier with him was the least he could do to repay him back for countless of things.

Ren hesitated to ask Aoba about something but the shorter male waited patiently. "… Are you okay with me getting my hair styled?"

The question caused the shorter male to blink like an owl, and then sigh. Was Ren still worried about his appearance? He seemed to be alright after the whole issue. Perhaps there was another reason for this?

"I'm fine with it but why do you want to have your hair styled?" the blunette asked, both curious and concerned.

Why? If Ren pondered on the question, it was mostly due to Aoba's preferences. However, he could not deny the fact that he was more used to his hairstyle in Rhyme.

"Well, you could say that I personally prefer my hairstyle in Rhyme. I'm not sure if there's more to it, other than your preferences," Ren answered, looking up to the ceiling in wonder.

The answer caused a small laugh in Aoba. The taller male turned his head to face the other, his eyebrows raised in confusion. Was there something funny about what he had just said?

"Aoba?"

"You don't have to ask for my permission to get your hair cut. If it's what you want, you should go ahead and do it. I'm not your mother Ren," Aoba laughed.

"So, you're fine with it?"

"Like I said, my opinion doesn't matter," the shorter male stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

* * *

Thus, due to what occurred earlier in the day, Ren stood in front of the Old Resident District's best hair-styling shop. Although, he was starting to have second doubts.

As usual, Koujaku's shop was swarmed with women. It seemed almost impossible to hear his own voice over all the high pitched pleas and squeals from the women. Ren could not take the noise anymore and decided to walk away had it not been for a person calling out his name and putting their arm around his shoulders.

"Ren! How've you been doing?"

Said person had to suppress a sigh, knowing that all of the women's attention was now on him and the man clad in a red kimono.

"I've been doing well. It seems that your shop is as famous as ever Koujaku," Ren stated, avoiding eye contact was anybody.

His plans to escape the hordes of female monsters and their master have been ruined. How wonderful.

"Has it ever not?"

When Koujaku said that, he could hear plenty of melancholic sighs from the women, so he turned around to face the long-haired man. Of course, Koujaku had his lady-killer smile on. Is he trying to have a friendly chat with Ren or is he trying to flirt with the women?

"Putting that aside. What are you doing here? Aren't you normally with Aoba?" the older male questioned, still flashing his dazzling smile.

… Maybe he was attempting to do both at once.

"It's true that I'm usually with Aoba. However, I have come here for my own personal reasons," the short-haired male stated.

Hearing that, Koujaku became a bit serious since Ren seldom talked with him one-on-one.

"I'm all ears," Koujaku said, his face showing that he was listening intently to what Ren had to say.

Ren took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever looks he might get.

"I was wondering if you're willing to style my hair," the younger male asked hesitantly, averting his gaze to the floor.

It was at that moment that everything became silent. The women were no longer swooning over Koujaku. When Ren looked up, he noticed that some of the women were glaring at him. This must be how Aoba felt when the women glared at him for being friendly with Koujaku. Others were seemed to be leaning forward in anticipation to hear Koujaku's answer.

The man clad in a red kimono blinked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He almost seemed to be wondering about something until he started to grin. That was not a reaction Ren anticipated.

"Sure! It's what Aoba likes, _right_?" Koujaku teased, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ren could almost feel a vein pop on his forehead.

The women around them all gasped. Some were covering their mouths while others blushed. All of them seemed to be thinking of several scenarios of two guys being together.

"Well then, styling your hair might take a while, so I might close the shop early for today," the hair-stylist stated, causing all the women to whine.

* * *

They managed to get to Koujaku's place without much of a problem, except having to calm down all the women for thirty minutes. Sometimes Ren wondered if Koujaku ever got annoyed with all the women fussing over him.

Ren followed Koujaku into his house, taking off his shoes before entering. The place was nice and spacious but it seemed quite empty in Ren's opinion. He knew that Koujaku brought women back to his place from time to time but that did not do much to the lonely atmosphere in the house.

Koujaku led Ren to his bedroom, causing the latter to ponder on why he was brought to this room. That was until he noticed that there was a mirror in this room, set nicely on a table with a few hair-styling tools on it.

"Alright, just sit here and I'll get my things," Koujaku told him, placing a chair in front of the mirror and patting it, gesturing to sit there.

Ren nodded and did as he was told. Sure, this was not the first time he had been to Koujaku's house. There were times when Aoba went to his place, carrying a bag with Ren in it. That was when he was still an Allmate so everything looked bigger before. However, since he now had a human body, everything in the house seemed to be of a normal size. His thoughts were cut short when he heard the sound of wings flapping approach him.

"Yo Ren! How've you been?" an energetic voice chirped as said person felt something perch on his shoulder.

Ren looked through the mirror in front of him and saw Beni on his shoulder.

He reached out a hand to scratch right below Beni's neck, causing the sparrow Allmate to close his eyes in comfort. "I've been doing well. How about you?"

"Same old, same old."

At that moment, Ren heard footsteps approaching him and Beni. Koujaku must have gathered all of his things. The kimono clad man placed all his tools on the table and positioned Ren on the chair properly so that he could nearly see every angle of his head.

"Well Ren, how'd you like your hair styled?" he asked, looking at said person through the mirror.

"I would like it styled just like how my hair was in my Rhyme mode," Ren told him, somehow a bit uncomfortable by how serious Koujaku's face looked.

The taller male seemed to be thinking for a moment, then nodded his head, as if he confirmed something.

"Alright, I can do that," he said, picking up a few tools from the table.

Ren was intrigued by how Koujaku worked. He felt curious as to how it felt the other man styling his hair. From what he could remember, he had heard a few women say that "you'll be sent to heaven when Koujaku-san touches your hair" when he was still an Allmate.

However, that's where the problem lies.

He noticed almost every little reaction from Koujaku at the moment. He had once seen the long-haired man style a woman's hair. His movements were smooth and refined and his face showed that he was absorbed in his work, as if he was painting a beautiful masterpiece. Right at this moment, Koujaku's hand movement were rather jittery and seemed hesitant to do whatever he was about to do next. His face was showed that he was nervous and distracted. Was it possible that Koujaku had never styled a man's hair before?

"Koujaku?" Ren called out, causing the hair-stylist to flinch. "Is it possible that you've never tried styling a man's hair before?"

The man at work seemed to blink for a few moments before fully registering what his friend had asked him. "I have done so for a few of my members before."

Ren was confused. If Koujaku had done something like this before, why was he so out-of-character?

"Ren, if I remember correctly, you're in the body of Aoba's twin brother," Koujaku stated, causing the shorter male to be confused at how the conversation took a surprising turn but nodded, nevertheless. "Tae had also mentioned that that when Aoba and his twin were born, their hair was connected together."

Ren nodded once again but wondered why Koujaku was bringing this up.

"It's been a lifetime dream of mine to cut Aoba's hair so, I thought that maybe you two had more-or-less the same kind of hair," the older man confessed, halting his work as he put his tools back down on the table.

The revelation made Ren's eyes widen in shock. Was there some kind of meaning to Koujaku wanting to cut Aoba's hair?

As if reading his mind, the kimono clad man continued, "At first, it was probably because I wanted Aoba to take care of his hair better so, I thought he could manage his hair better if it was short. But now…"

Instinctively, Ren continued from where the other man had left off, "You have no idea if that's your actual reason."

Koujaku lowered his head, averting his gaze from Ren's eyes, as if ashamed.

"Maybe I've developed feelings for him."

"I see…"

When Ren said that, Koujaku's head shot up, surprised about how nonchalant Ren was with this. He was about to question why the short-haired male's reaction was as such but the other had beat him to it.

"It's pretty easy to fall for someone who you've been with for so long," Ren said, more to himself, with a smile and his eyes closed, as if thinking about the one that made him happy.

"You're… not going to ask me to stay away from him or something like that?" Koujaku questioned, confused, his hands shaking.

"I'm pretty sure that contradicts my personality," Ren stated, almost amused as to how Koujaku could come up with something so bizarre. "I'm not that kind of person."

Koujaku was about to say something but kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not the only one who makes Aoba happy. If I were to ask you to stop being friends with Aoba, it would surely make him sad without your presence around him. You've also made a great impact on Aoba's life. You being his friend is pretty much a necessity for him now. I can't possibly ask you to kill your feelings for him either. But…"

Hearing Ren pause for a moment, Koujaku dared to look back into the mirror. A chill ran down his spine as he saw Ren's gaze fixed on him through the mirror. If looks could do any sort of damage, he was sure that he would have fainted from how deadly Ren's face looked.

"I won't allow you to make him fall in love with you."

Koujaku had to suppress an audible gulp. However, if he put aside the obvious fear building in him from Ren's presence, he could obviously understand why Ren would tell him such a thing.

"I won't do any of those sorts. He's precious to you so, I won't even think about taking him away from you," the taller male assured, a gentle smile being placed upon his lips.

"Thank you for understanding," Ren thanked, his shoulder relaxing, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"If there's anyone who should do the thanking, it should be me. You're one of the most understanding people I've met so far," Koujaku chuckled, reaching out for his tools again.

"Well, since that issue has been settled, shall I get back to doing my job?" he teased, honestly happy being able to come to terms with Ren.

"Yes, please continue."

* * *

"How d'you like it?"

"It… still fits Ren's looks well…"

"I'm glad it's to your liking Aoba."

"L-Like I said, you don't have to go through all this trouble just for me!"

"And like I said Aoba, I actually prefer how my hair feels in my Rhyme form."

"And there's nothing like a good time for men to bond!"

"Huh?"

"Aoba, as men who normally end up being on top, we need to discuss about the many different ways to please our lovers."

"I- I NEVER ASKED WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Koujaku, that was not nee-"

"AND NORMALLY ON TOP YOU SAY?! ONE DAY I'LL TOP REN! JUST YOU WAIT!"

"And the conversation takes a surprising turn…"

"But doesn't this conversation also tell you to watch out Ren?"

"If it's what he likes, I don't really mind."

* * *

_That "being on top" was being referenced to Kanami Yuuta's mini RenAo comic ^^ Ah... My line breaker is glitching..._

_Like it? Love it? Hate it? Just review your opinions! However, it would be nice if you criticize my work without being too harsh. I could possibly take requests too! Just PM me! ^^  
_

_Thank you for reading!~_


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